Doug Ducey will head up a national advocacy group that aims to promote the “free enterprise system,” the former Arizona governor announced on Tuesday.
Ducey said that he’s taking over as CEO of Citizens for Free Enterprise because “the free enterprise system matters to me – it’s what makes the American dream truly possible for all.”
Ducey, who built a national profile leading the Republican Governors’ Association, has long deflected questions about his plans after leaving office, including whether he would run for U.S. Senate or even as a vice-presidential candidate. The announcement means he’ll be playing in national politics, but not as a candidate for higher office.
Citizens for Free Enterprise will look something like a conservative version of Democrat Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Action, according to reporting in Axios. The group’s website states that its “mission is to be the voice for those who want the next generation of Americans to have more opportunity,” and it will “engage with and activate voters passionate about free enterprise and what it offers.”
“Lately, free enterprise is under attack everywhere we turn – bigger government, needless regulation and a push towards socialism,” Ducey said in a video announcement on June 20.
Ducey described his move as part of a “new effort,” indicating he’ll revamp Citizens for Free Enterprise’s work. The group has existed as a Super PAC for several years, donating millions of dollars across the country to back Republican candidates for Congress, governor’s offices and even former President Donald Trump.
It also has a Ducey connection. FEC reports show that Citizens for Free Enterprise has mainly served as a conduit for political donations by Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade and father of U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. Pete Ricketts is also the former governor of Nebraska and served as co-chair of the Republican Governors’ Association along with Ducey from 2021 to 2022.
Ducey will bring along other former RGA officials including J.P. Twist and Jesse Hunt, Axios reported.
A Republican, Ducey was Arizona’s top official from 2015 until January of this year, when he handed off the governor’s office to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
During his time in the governor’s office, Ducey was seen as a pro-business official – he pushed hard for tax cuts, fostered a close relationship with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and regularly touted his experience in the private sector before he worked in government.
Some of his signature legislative accomplishments – cutting taxes and implementing a flat tax rate for all incomes; creating Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account or “school voucher” program – have been in line with Ducey’s brand of free-market thinking.
Arizona’s economy flourished during Ducey’s two terms in office, growing from $288 billion in 2014 to $459 billion in 2022, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank.
But by the time he left office in early 2023, there seemed to be little room left for Ducey’s brand of conservatism in Arizona. His preferred successor, Karrin Taylor Robson, lost in the GOP primary to Trump-endorsed Kari Lake. The state Republican party that was once filled with Ducey allies is now dominated by the Trump-friendly MAGA faction of the party and Ducey sometimes struggled to defend his support of far-right Republicans, like Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff.
But if Ducey’s support at home in Arizona seemed to be thinning, his popularity in the Washington Republican establishment was clearly strong. Towards the end of his term, he frequently gave speeches at beltway organizations like the Reagan Institute and earlier this year he signed on to host a series of seminars at American University on the subject of “bringing innovation and an entrepreneurial approach to state government.”
Ducey’s pro-business policies haven’t been without controversy, however. This year, the Arizona Department of Education revealed that ESA enrollment had grown beyond predictions and would cost the state $900 million per year. Hobbs has said the program will “bankrupt” the state if it’s not reined in.
And this week, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee released a new report saying Arizona is on track for a net loss of $175 million in fiscal year 2023, citing revenue decline due to tax cuts that “significantly exceeded expectations.”
